“ Then
rose the King and moved his host by night,
And ever push'd Sir Mordred, league by league,
Back to the sunset bound of Lyonesse”
Alfred
Lord Tennyson, Idylls of the King (1859)
This tour allows us to select
the itinerary day by day. As there are 300 islands to choose
from, it is literally an island hopper's dream.
The Scillies consist of 300 islands, of which only 6
are currently inhabited. They lie 28 miles south-west of Land's End.
The Scilly Isles are the remains of the once thriving
kingdom of Lyonesse which stretched all the way to Lands End. The Legend of
King Arthur reveals that after his death his followers fled from Mordred across
the ancient land of Lyonesse, which connected the Isles of Scilly to Cornwall.
When King Arthur's men had safely reached the Scillies, Merlin caused Lyonesse
to be flooded and Mordred and his followers were drowned.
Before the rise in sea level at the end of the last Ice
Age, the Isles of Scilly were all connected as one large island. The waters
between the islands are therefore shallow and it is still possible to catch
a glimpse of submerged boundary walls and sheep pens as you swim off the
coast.
We start and finish our trip from the main island of St
Mary's. As we travel through the Scillies, there will be ample opportunity
to explore some of the more well known islands as well as some of the uninhabited
gems, each one with its own story to tell.
Tour Highlights
• Circumnavigate the Scillies by swimming and walking.
• Swim to the spectacular island of Tresco with its famous
Gardens.
• Tackle the challenging but rewarding crossing from Samson to St
Agnes.
• Explore the wild and untamed island of Bryher.
• Swim amongst porpoises, dolphins and grey seals.
Tour Summary
No. of Days: 6
Average Daily Distance Swum: 2.5 Km
Tour Type: Island Hopping
Accommodation: Hotels/B&B Departure
Dates & Price
)